Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Beautiful words; a beautiful prayer: The Rev. Dr. Laurie Kraus, coordinator for Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, offered a prayer of lament for those killed and injured by a semi-truck driver who systematically plowed through crowds in the French Mediterranean resort city of Nice last evening.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed…. 2 Corinthians 4

God, whose presence we yearn toward in the stillness after our shaken, broken voices and the fires of violence fall silent: we have no words left.

The words others have said: “horrific” “worst” “unspeakable” “impossible”have been spoken so many times that we can no longer hear them.Our hearts have broken so often, we cannot feel.Our hope has been tried, and, we confess in sorrow,has been found wanting.There has been too much terror, and not enough answerstoo many lost lives with too little time to grieve them alltoo much violation of the ordinary and not enough glimpse of the holy to hold us fast.

But You, oh God: beyond our words, beneath our hope:be the creative breath that orders our chaosthe mercy and justice that compels us to actionthe Love that is stronger than death.

We ask you again, for we have nowhere else to turn—Hold us fast, when we cannot hold on any longer.Walk with us through the valley of the shadowTurn us away from despair, that we may not grow weary in well-doing

Triune God, grant us liberté, égalité, fraternité: …the liberty of your love that conquers fear and evil…the mind of your Son, who did not consider equality with You a thing to be exploited, but emptied himself…the fraternity of your Spirit, beyond our divisions, to bind us together as one family in your kindom of mercy and peace. Amen.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog. As the Executive Presbyter of the Presbytery of Carlisle, I hope to use this space to reflect on the ministry of the 45 churches within our Presbytery, and, now and again, add some theological reflection. I hope this blog will contribute to the connectedness of the congregations in our Presbytery and our whole Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)